When the Dust Settles
by Shadow-Phoenix-Rider
Summary: After the incident on Tatooine, Corso Riggs gains some unexpected advice from a mysterious ally of his Captain Zavvi, who reveals some shadowed truths. Will these truths favour the farm boy? Finished.
1. The Jedi Sister

Carrick station was busy, as usual. Even in this uneasy peace, troops, civilians and mercenaries were all moving around and through this outpost, all with their own agendas and goals. The station even saw plenty of Jedi, so the tall dark blue Twi'lek consular raised little curiosity. She carried herself with grace, her robes placid in her wake, and there was a feeling of complete calm that settled around her, like new snow on a winter's morning. Her lekku were patterned by black, oval shaped tattoos that wrapped around their width, trailing down her back to rest just at her waistline.

She paused at the edge of the upper deck of the centre of the station, looking down at the large cantina space. The screens above flickered with news and the times on different planets and shuttles moving to and fro. People hurried by the Jedi, absorbed into their own little worlds and ignoring the vendor nearby trying to hawk his wares. She felt the emotions and life forces of the people that filed past her, just little facets of their lives and personalities in a brief moment, and it made her grateful for her connection to the Force. Her lekku swayed slightly, and her light green eyes scanned the expanse, her mind reaching out as well. She found what she was looking for and smiled warmly, moving from her position and descending down the stairs.

Though she saw the couple first, the Jedi then felt their auras, feeling herself connect. The other Twi'lek's aura was bright and full of bravado, though the Jedi was saddened at the slight slivers of pain she felt, yet was no longer surprised to feel the secretive undertone. It had been there far too long.  
The young man though, he was very interesting. He wasn't Force sensitive, but she could feel his emotions easily radiate out into the Force; a warm happiness and contentment, yet there were shivers of anxiety and worry, as well as something a little more deep, like a glowing hot coal in the centre of a hearth...

The Twi'lek's aura suddenly burst with joy, drawing the Jedi's attention out of her half-trance.  
"Sis! You're here!" She cried, leaping to her feet and suppressing a wince as she galloped over, pain bleeding out into her aura. "It's been so long!" She threw her arms around the Jedi, who smiled back.  
"It has indeed, Zavvi." She replied, looking up as she noticed confusion and surprise in the companion.  
"Captain, you never told me your sister was a Jedi!" He exclaimed, an accent she didn't recognise drawling out his words. Her sister chuckled, stepping back.  
"You really think I'd broadcast that to the galaxy, really? It's cool, sure, but I kinda like my sister and would rather she stay alive. Anyway, Corso, this is Xuleena, my big sister. Xu, this is Corso Riggs, my first mate." Zavvi grinned, seeing Corso blush slightly as he shook Xuleena's hand.  
"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am- I mean, Master Jedi." He said, and the consular chuckled softly.  
"Likewise, Corso. My sister has spoken about you before." He blinked.  
"Really?" As much as Corso would've loved to know what the Captain thought about him, he was wise enough to know not to inquire whilst she was standing right in front of him.  
"Yes, indeed." Xuleena turned to Zavvi, exchanging a glance with her. "We keep in contact whenever we can, but it is difficult, with one of us being a smuggler, the other a Jedi with many responsibilities." She sighed slightly. Corso got the impression of a typical Jedi; aloof and almost emotionless, though something stirred in his mind, that she seemed oddly familiar, but for the life of him he could not remember seeing her before this meeting. "I trust your wound is healing?"  
Zavvi grimaced.  
"Healing, yes, but it's going to scar. Those bastards got me good; my muscles are taking a while to rebuild. Could you help?"

Xuleena smiled.  
"Of course, sis." They moved back to where Zavvi and Corso had been sitting, the smuggler settling down whilst Corso stood watch, the Jedi kneeling down and placing her hands on the wounded thigh.  
She closed her eyes and concentrated the Force around her to channel through her hands into the tissue beneath. Her sister's diagnosis was not far off; the injury went deep, with muscle damaged. Kolto had been helping speed up the healing process, but Xuleena knew from her studies the muscles wouldn't grow back correctly, and the scar tissue would make moving the leg again hassle.

Concentrating harder, she used the Force to encourage the growth of the muscle, guiding the natural repair mechanism of the body with gentle nudges here and there. It didn't take too long to have the muscle at a satisfactory state, and Xuleena drew herself carefully out of her healing trance, returning to the real world. Corso's eyes were wide.  
"Wow..." He breathed. "I've never seen a Jedi heal someone before...That was what the light was, wasn't it?" She nodded.  
"Yes, it is a byproduct of our use of Force powers." She looked to her younger sister. "Try your leg now, Zee."  
The smuggler hopped to her feet, tensing the muscle.  
"Hey, that feels much better! Thanks, Xu!" She hugged the consular tightly.  
"You're very welcome, Zee. You would have needed my aid anyway if you wanted to keep your agility, as your muscle was scarring. It would've reduced the ability of it to stretch, and I wouldn't want you at a disadvantage." Xuleena replied. Zavvi puffed herself up.  
"I don't need your help, sis." She huffed childishly, pouting. To Corso's surprise, the Jedi giggled, which also made her younger sibling giggle back. The mercenary couldn't help but smile at their happiness, glad that Zavvi still had her family.

"Zee," Xuleena suddenly spoke again, "don't you have some errands to run whilst you're on this station?" The two sisters shared a look, and Zavvi nodded.  
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I'll be a few minutes, but I can do this on my own, Corso. Just stay with my sister and...Don't cause a fight or anything." She left them, though Riggs had a sneaking suspicion about something, which was further confirmed when Xuleena got to her feet.  
"Let's take a walk, Corso. I've needed to speak with you anyway." She noted the flicker in his aura and smiled. "No, she's not very subtle. My little sister has never been like that..." Corso noted a brief look of sadness flash over her face. "Come with me, I know a place we can talk."

* * *

Xuleena led Corso towards an area in the station outfitted in the intention to give Jedi a room to meditate in undisturbed, but due to the serenity of the decoration (resembling the Jedi Temple back at Tython, with more potted plants) and the regular occupants, it had become a place where people could come for some peace and quiet.  
Corso felt a little out of place when they entered, but there were only a couple of Jedi deep in meditation, and some people looking out of the window at the stars or sitting to one side, absorbed in their thoughts. He wondered idly what the Jedi was going to tell him as they sat on a bench, shaded by a large plant determined to escape its pot.

"What are your feelings towards my sister?" Corso blinked, not expecting her to cut right to the chase.  
"Ah, well, er, w-what do you mean by that, m-ma'am- I mean Mast-" He stuttered, before Xuleena cut him off by raising her hand.  
"Either will work just fine, Corso. And you may call me by name too." She looked to him, and somehow seemed to stare into him as well, which was a little unnerving. "You're not exactly subtle. I must admit, I haven't really seen a non-sensitive who is so open with his emotions before, and since your emotions affect the Force, I can easily sense your mood, and to a lesser extent what sort of things you're thinking about." His eyes widened.  
"Really?" She bowed her head.  
"I will not be able to know what exactly you're thinking, but I can sense the general...nature of what you're thinking, be it anger, sadness, surprise, or," she paused, "more." Corso couldn't help but blush. "But I still must ask of your feelings towards her. She may be able to take care of herself, but she is still my little sister." A brief uneasiness swept over him, and a Jedi nearby shifted, grumbling. "And I will not allow anyone to hurt her." The uneasiness lifted, but Corso caught the flash of sadness across her light green eyes. He swallowed, trying to get his thoughts in order, knowing she'd be able to sniff out any lies. Not that he would dare lie to the Captain's sister.

"Well, ma'am...I really, really like the Captain. She's so strong and beautiful and she's so nice too; we had to go fix this hydrosupply for these droids. We were jus' about to fix it when these kids showed up. Turns out they were usin' the hydrosupply whilst it was broken, 'cos it was the only source they had for free water in the district." He smiled wistfully. "The Captain just gave 'em a ton of credits an' told them to move out and find a place where they could get water, or at least have the money to trade for it for a while. She's not like the others; she's really nice when she wants to be and there's no Captain I'd rather work for." He shifted slightly. "She just gets really angry sometimes, like, really badly angry..."  
Xuleena sighed softly, sensing hurt, but also the pureness of his affection, the latter which buoyed her, though the former pulled her mood down a bit. She decided it was best to tell him.  
"Yes, she has an anger that is very dangerous..." Her lekku shifted, curling towards her head. "She hasn't always been like that."  
"She hasn't? What do you mean?" His brows furrowed in confusion. Xuleena sat up properly, sorting out her long skirt.  
"Has she ever taken her headband off?" She asked. His brows knotted further. What kind of a question was that?  
"No, she always keeps it on." He glanced up. "It's the same as yours, actually." She nodded.  
"Yes, it is." She took a breath. "Mine is merely for decoration, but Zavvi wears hers for a different reason. You see, underneath it is a scar, a very nasty one that she cannot bear to see or show to others. Her scar is unlike yours, true, but...It means too much." Corso sat silently, listening to Xuleena weave her story.

"Zavvi was quite a different person to the one you see now. She was more carefree, and she would never fly into terrible rages; the worst was a sulk behind a locked door. She was just generally a happier person, though she is still the type for crazy plans, and has the lust to explore that she always has. It's too much of a long story to tell you everything, but when she was fourteen, she and Mum were fighting, regularly. Mum wanted to keep Zee home more often, and as you can imagine, she didn't want to be caged. I was home from Tython that night, and that's when she decided to sneak out of the house and have her own adventure. I sensed her leaving and decided to follow her; I wanted to make sure she was safe, and, well, she wouldn't be angry at me following her, as I wouldn't tell Mum what she was doing. Usually." Xuleena shifted awkwardly, Corso feeling it too.

"It went fairly well, until she broke into a warehouse. She alerted security and the only way she could stay away from them was by climbing the vast stacks of crates." The Jedi looked down at her hands. "As you can assume, she was playing to the crowd. Just...on a jump...she slipped. I remember seeing her fall, and the sound that I heard when her head hit the ground first." She closed her eyes tightly; one Jedi looked around at her. "She didn't move afterwards. I ran to her and tried to heal, but I was so scared, so panicked that nothing was really working. They called our parents and the emergency services..." Corso noticed her holding her hands tightly together. "She was lucky to be alive...but the impact shattered the front part of her skull and her brain began to swell...They had to operate immediately to have any chance of saving her life, and most of herself..." She crossed her legs. "They were successful, to a point. Zavvi is alive, and most of her is intact...But you can't hit your head that hard and have that sort of swelling without some things changing..."

"She has amnesia of the event, for a start. She only knows what happened to her because we told her, and even then she forgets parts of it every now and again. It also changed her personality to what you know now...the anger she has is from the damage, and there's no really way to curb it without anti-psychotic drugs. But she won't take them, because of the side effects. It also had a strange effect of making her lekku more sensitive; I think that is why she didn't need to relearn to talk or anything..."

Xuleena looked to Corso finally.  
"Zavvi told me what happened on Tatooine, what she said to you, and the attack. I can't thank you enough for preserving my sister's life." A pause, and then a slight smile. "Most would have been broken or turned tail and fled from such a tempest. And yet somehow you went to her aid, despite that..." Corso shifted awkwardly.  
"Well, she'd left her blasters with me, and I don't mean to disrespect how she fights, but I was worried that without her blasters something bad would've happened an' I-" He tried to explain, before Xuleena interrupted with;  
"That's not love I sense, is it?" Riggs stopped, mouth hanging open for a few seconds before he remembered to shut it. He looked down at his feet, hoping his avoidance hadn't damaged the Jedi's view of him. He swallowed hard.  
"...Yeah, alright. I do love her." The mercenary couldn't look at her as he said this. "I just...she told me not too long ago she didn't wanna get attached to anyone, that she couldn't bear if something happened to them."  
"She's scared of something else being broken." Xuleena sighed, lekku swaying.  
Corso realized she was right; Zavvi's body had been almost broken completely, and even the privacy of her mind had been struck a blow. So naturally she would guard the remaining untouched part of her well, as something she could control. His heart ached with the knowledge, with the need to go to his Captain and tell her he was there for her, and that she need not feel so vulnerable.  
The Jedi consular smiled slightly, feeling Corso's emotions bleed out into the Force, reaching and coiling anxiously. So the emotions she'd felt on Taris hadn't been a fluke. _Have faith._Those words were so true to her sister, but if his actions to the events on Tatooine were any indication, she knew that there might just be a chance...If he was willing enough.

She turned her head when she noticed a change in his aura, conjuring images of a small child wandering lost in the snowy cold.  
"Then...How can I show her that I won't break her heart? If you don't mind me being in a relationship with her..." He mumbled, so very unsure under the weight of all this new information. Xuleena let her smile show this time.  
"Well, might I suggest you let her know how you feel?" Her voice was gentle and almost motherly, though she tried not to patronize him. "She's never met a man like you before, so making the first move would be essential if you want this to go anywhere." Corso blushed.  
"A-Are you sure? I don't wanna seem like those guys who're jus' hitting her up for a quick fling or somethin'..." To his surprise Xuleena chuckled richly (he figured Jedi didn't really do laughing).  
"Corso, stop putting barriers in front of yourself! Have you considered that maybe she wants someone that doesn't see her as what she represents?" She said. "If you never try to talk to her, you'll never know." She leant a little closer. "Corso, you can have a chance with her. Just have faith."  
_Have faith._ The Mantellian's eyes widened, and realization surged through his aura.  
"You! You were on Taris! You were the Jedi in the rain!" He gasped. "Why were you there?"  
"I had a mission on Taris myself, and when I felt my sister's presence, I went to investigate, that's when I found you taking watch." She explained.  
"You did some strange things, and went in my head. What was that for?" Corso asked curiously. Xuleena crossed her ankles, one lekku twitching.  
"My Master told me the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." She replied, and the young man couldn't help but frown, though remembered what he'd heard in his head: encouragement to keep going with Zavvi, and that she would help him later. His frown evaporated when he realized that they'd come full circle.

Whilst Corso was processing this, Xuleena spoke again, climbing to her feet.  
"There is also another thing my Master told me. 'Seize the day, as you may never know when the sun might set'."  
Riggs nodded slowly, rising to his feet, letting this all circulate around in his head.  
"I think I understand..." He murmured. One of the Jedi's slight smiles.  
"I think you do, Corso. Now, I believe we should head back; Zavvi will be waiting for us..."


	2. Courting a Captain

Zavvi returned to the cantina a couple of moments after Xuleena and Corso, and the sisters began to catch up together after some time apart (they did keep in contact over holo, it was easier to elaborate face to face), which meant Corso kept quiet to not interrupt, and even left them to their devices at one point to wander through the station alone. He didn't mind that though, as he had a lot to think about after the private conversation he'd had with the elder sister.

It had explained a lot about Zavvi's rages and just generally about her personality. However, the fact Zavvi had brain damage gave Corso pause; he'd thought her fury was slightly over the top and odd, but he'd never even thought that it might because she'd suffered a blow to the head. He'd never thought of Zavvi as 'vulnerable', but clearly she thought that, if she was trying to shield her heart as she did. A part of him wanted to sweep her into his arms, hold her close and tell her he was there for her, that she didn't need to be worried, that he wouldn't dare break her heart. And yet he was also enamoured with how she managed to carry herself; she never showed an ounce of weakness, never showed even a hint of her past, except for the headband upon her head, yet that only looked like decoration, not something to hide a scar. That was why Corso had fallen for her; somehow she managed to shed the cloak of shadows from her shoulders and walk her own path, not letting her past pull her down; a strength that lit a fire within him.

The mercenary paused in his idle exploration of the station, looking back down at the cantina to where the captain and Jedi were still deep in conversation, the former laughing happily whilst the latter allowed her small, warm smiles. He wondered if the Jedi could sense him watching. It seemed strange she was helping him to try and woo her sister, but she'd been very grateful for Corso saving her younger sibling's life, so it might just be her way of thanking him. And Corso was grateful for that; she'd given him the courage to attempt to ask a question of Zavvi he'd never thought he'd have the nerve to ask.

He felt the tendrils of what he now knew as Xuleena's Force presence gently touch his mind, letting him know she was indeed aware of his presence. The Mantellian shook his head to clear the sensation and joined the two sisters down in the cantina.

"Just in time, farm boy; Xu here's just about to leave." Zavvi told him, getting to her feet.  
"Indeed I am. I am needed elsewhere, I am afraid. Namely on Nar Shaddaa." The Jedi replied with a slight name. Corso raised an eyebrow.  
"What would a Jedi need on Nar Shaddaa?" He asked curiously. Xuleena waved his question away.  
"It will not affect you, Corso. I wouldn't worry about what I am doing."  
"Yeah; of the both of us, Xu's the most qualified to fight Sith and all the other crazy things you Jedi deal with. We just shoot gangsters and ship-stealing thieves." Zavvi cut in, shrugging. "Anyhow, I hope it goes well for you. Don't go into the Red Light district and get your organs stolen, and if anyone looks like they wanna grab you and stick you on a stage, Force push 'em off the edge of a platform." She puffed herself up as she said it, and Corso smiled, his captain's defiant spark warming his heart and strengthening his resolve.  
Xuleena glanced to him, letting a warm smile spread across her lips. Yes, she'd done a good thing, she thought to herself.  
"I'll be sure to do that, Zee. You take care of yourselves as well; I will not be available to aid you for a while yet, but I think you'll be fine by yourselves. Just don't do anything too foolish." She gave her younger sister a look that made her grin innocently.  
"You know me, sis; I wouldn't do anything like that!" Xuleena eyed Corso, sensing from his aura there was a few things she wasn't telling her, though she kept her face the careful neutral.  
"Perhaps. I will be fine walking to my ship the _Songbird_ by myself. I'm not sure whether Qyzen continues the grudge between Trandoshans and Wookies, and I wouldn't want you to get in trouble just because you have your crew member's scent traces on you." She said, Zavvi pulling a face.  
"It's not like I've been hugging Bowdaar ever since he came on my ship, sis! He can't have such strong sense of smell, surely?" The smuggler raised an eyebrow.  
"You'll be surprised; I might be able to sense the Force, but Qyzen's senses have never failed us. He is a hunter, not a mercenary, and I've learnt to trust his instincts almost as much as I trust the Force." The consular chided her, brushing away invisible dust from her robes. "It's much like you trusting your gut instinct."  
"Huh..." Zavvi nodded, looking pensive before she gave her older sister a great big hug. "Be careful, Xu. I'll talk to you again sometime, yeah?"  
"Yes, of course." Xuleena nodded, smiling. "May the Force be with you both."

And with a small wave, she turned around and melded into the crowd above them.

* * *

"So, what were you and Xu talkin' about when you two went off together?" Zavvi asked as she drummed in the code for the _Skylark_, which burbled happily in acceptance. After Skavak, she was always in the habit of locking her ship up tight, no matter where she was or how long she'd been away from the ship. "She didn't fill your head with Jedi nonsense, did she? Last thing I want is you quoting the Code at me!" She chuckled good-naturedly.  
Corso felt his cheeks begin to burn. The only things Xuleena had talked to him about were Zavvi and her past and possibly their relationship. He wasn't convinced that she would appreciate being talked about behind her back, and he was sure that the last thing the Twi'lek wanted to hear was 'oh, we talked about that accident that happened which gave you the scar you're hiding'. Riggs couldn't outright lie to Zavvi, as the guilt would rip him into shreds, but he could do something else...

"Oh, well, uh, it wasn't about anythin' really...It was basically just getting to know each other better, 'cos, well, your sister just wanted to know that I wasn't gonna do a Skavak on you or anything." His heart flipped at her little giggle. "She's real nice though, your sis, and in answer to your question, no, she didn't fill my head full of Jedi stuff."  
"Good to see you two getting along." The smuggler smiled, closing the hatch door behind them and walking to the bridge with Corso tailing behind her. "We don't meet up often, so it's always an event when we do." A slight wistful look past her eyes. "It's a shame we never had much time together in childhood. We were lucky as well; Xu had a rather sympathetic Jedi Master who let her go home sometimes; apparently some of the kids never see their families again until they become proper Jedi, and even then some don't." The mercenary's brows shot upwards.  
"What? I knew the Jedi took young'ns from their parents, but not to let them back?" He said, alarmed. Zavvi shook her head.  
"Yeah, I know. I always missed Xu when she went back to Tython; it was always a little lonely without her and especially without my dad..." She sighed briefly, affecting a far-away look. However, she shook her head to dismiss this before Corso had the chance to question her about her parent. "We make up for it now, anyway. Besides, I've got a crew now, so everything's good." She smiled at him, pausing at the computer on the bridge to check the inventory.

Corso wandered up to the main control panels, feeling his heart starting to beat so much that it seemed like it wanted to crawl out of his ribcage. _Ask her! Ask her now! Remember what her sister said, remember what her sister said..._ Corso thought to himself, summoning all the courage he could muster, and silently giving a little prayer to the Force. _Here we go, here we go...  
_He turned, wandering back to her and glancing down the corridor, hoping that Risha wouldn't swan in the middle of what he wanted to do, as he assumed he'd probably die of embarrassment, and if not, then her teasing would be the coup-de-grace. _No, stop worrying._ He chided himself.

"Uh, Captain, there kinda is something I'd like to ask you..." He began, trying not to speak too quickly in his anxious state. Zavvi regarded him properly, a stance that Corso recognised in that he had her complete attention and that she was taking the matter seriously.  
"What is it?" She asked, an undertone of fear to her voice she was doing her best to hide; a part of the young man wanted to just throw the issue away entirely and vacate the room in an effort not to worry the Captain, but thankfully his spine held.  
"Well, uh..." Corso took a little breath, and hissed it out as a sigh. "I don't, quite know how to do this with a lady like you, Captain," sudden realization that this could be construed wrongly, "-court you, I-I mean!" He stuttered slightly.  
The Twi'lek's eyebrow arched.  
"'Court' me?" She asked.  
"Yeah." Corso looked at his feet, feeling his confidence starting to shrivel. "Back on Ord Mantell, we, we had rules 'bout that sort of thing. Me and Ariane...we had a few chaperoned dates between dates between our families..." He tried not to show his cringe when he spoke of his ex-fiancée again, wisely knowing it was a sensitive subject at the best of times.  
But to his surprise, the smuggler smirked, her eyes still bright.  
"Chaperones? Seriously? Why, that's so sweet..." She teased, ruffling his feathers.  
"Yeah, well, I know it sounds old-fashioned, but they were for a reason!" He grumbled. "They were so people could get to know each other without pressure, so they wouldn't break each other's hearts." He noted the awkward pause. "Or at least...That's what I was told." Riggs glanced away. That'd been how his dad had reasoned it all to him. 'No pressure'; no pressure but an impending, possibly one-sided marriage. And they expected these dates would kindle some deeply buried desire for their wandering son to settle down and start a family, to somehow silence the stars' call. They muffled it, at best. "I'm sorry Captain, I know it's old-fashioned, it's just-"  
"Corso." Somehow, just the way she said his name made him look back to her, and the look in her light green eyes silenced him. She wasn't angry, or annoyed. She was...amused. "I was just teasing." She smiled. "But I'll think you'll find chaperoned dates just will not work here. Besides, I can chaperone myself." The smile became a grin, and the atmosphere was light once more. "Was there anything else you had to do, farm boy?" The Mantellian was slightly bemused by her reaction, but teasing was better than the alternative, so he began to relax.  
"Well, I had to get permission from her father first too..." An awkward formality back then, considering the circumstances of the match. Zavvi giggled.  
"Why? Can't a girl give herself away?" He winced a little at the ghostly hint of steel to her voice, but she continued with; "'Sides, my dad's way too busy and far away for you to ask him, so you've gotta ask me." A grin.

Corso smiled, but part of him was loudly questioning whether this was actually a good idea; all he'd done is foray into uneasy territory (when he'd promised Zavvi he was going to treat her properly) and brought back memories of Ariane. It felt so wrong to ask Zavvi in the same, jilted means he'd asked her, a woman he didn't love but had to marry, all false promises and broken hearts and-  
_Hang on one blasted second! _Corso thought to himself. _I love Zavvi. Ariane, all that stuff is in the past. It doesn't matter anymore. What matters right now is Zavvi. Xuleena was right; I can have a chance with her, but I gotta stop trying to talk myself outta it. I can do this, 'cos it's not like I'm fighting a Sith.  
_  
He swallowed, stepping forward to where he could just sense where her private space began, his brown eyes meeting her own.  
"I know it's different here, Captain, but..." A beat. "Zavvi," her eyes widened, "may I have permission to seek your hand?"  
Her heart skipped, and she felt her cheeks begin to heat with a blush, though she hoped he couldn't see.  
"Well, if that means roses, love letters, and sneaking kisses before we're supposed to, I'm all for it, farm boy." She smiled, stepping forward, holding back a smirk as he blushed too.  
"I'll have to work on the roses, and the love letters, but the rest I, I think I can manage." He replied, a slight hesitation as he tried not to let the feeling of excitement consume his ability to speak.

Who moved first towards the other wasn't exactly clear, but both were tentative and yet very curious, Corso's hands gently finding their way to Zavvi's back and waist, whilst hers just found places that were out of the way. Zavvi noticed his gaze only broke contact with hers to check where her lips were (which sent a shock of heat down her spine) before they met.  
Corso felt his heart performing a somersault as he felt her soft lips against his own; infinitely better than what his imagination could conjure. He wanted to stay like this forever, in this one, perfect moment where the outside galaxy was suddenly at peace, until he perhaps- _No, don't ruin the moment by thinking like that, Corso._ He chided himself.  
The all too soon, Zavvi began to draw away from him, his eyes opening to catch a brief sight of an expression of utter contentment and bliss, before her eyes opened too and the spell was broken. He filed the look on her face back into his memories, vowing to himself that he'd do everything in his power to stop that face from becoming a rarity. The kiss must have had an effect on him, as Corso found himself saying;  
"Captain, I uh, I do cuddles as well, if you want them. You know, for the courting and all." The familiar blush blazed over his face, even when he held his arms out to her. The touches he'd had earlier were just not enough. Thankfully, the smuggler smiled at his offer.  
"I haven't a hug in a while, farm boy." She admitted, moving back and embracing him, her smile widening as she felt his arms curl around her as well.

Corso gently shifted his position to breathe in her scent; a mixture of things he had no name for, but he found them heady and delightful, making sure to try to commit it to memory, to recall whenever he had some moments to himself. It seemed so unfair that her body nestled so perfectly against his own; smaller, perfectly formed and with this slight undertone of a sleeping strength that could awaken at any moment, should anyone dare even consider her weak. He felt guilty for even letting the thought into his head in mere passing.  
He was careful around her lekku, not wanting to hurt her, but as he shifted his grip, the back of his hand brushed against one headtail. It shivered at his touch and his charge breathed out a sigh, though Corso flinched a little, not knowing if he'd done something wrong. However, her grip on him remained firm, and she looked up at him, though the Mantellian swore that her pupils had dilated a tiny bit.  
"That was nice..." She murmured softly. He blinked, his tanned skin now starting to show his bright crimson blush.  
"Really?" He replied, his surprise clear in his voice.  
"Mmhmm. Gentle touches are good. You could say we Twi'lek like getting touched there...a lot..." The way she purred that last part made Corso increasingly aware of the detour his blood was taking, and how lucky he'd been so far.  
"O-Okay, C-Captain." He stuttered, now almost the colour of a Sith Pureblood. Then he hesitated. "You'd let me touch you there?" He asked.  
It was her turn to blush, though she turned her head to hide it from him.  
"...So long as you're gentle." Her words were so soft he barely caught them, but when he did, he felt an electric shiver slink over his body. He had permission to touch them!

Tentatively, he reached forward brushing his hand lightly over the surface. Zavvi breathed in. He traced the patterns of the tattoos over her lekku, following each curve, drawing patterns that made no sense, but were beautifully painted upon her light blue skin. He paused when he heard her soft murmur, but when nothing else came, he boldly curled his hand around the headtail. She tensed, and he stopped. After a beat, he felt her relax, and Corso smoothed his hand upwards, marvelling at the feel. It was quite unlike anything he'd imagined; it was fleshy and smooth, but even with the feather-light touch he had he could sense more beneath the skin, like muscles and the brains most suggested that lurked beneath. It wasn't hair, but somehow Corso found himself liking the feel of Zavvi's lekku more. Though they were most tender, with a simplest of gentle touches he could see his captain almost melt under his fingertips. He felt another surge and quietly prayed for his trousers not to give him away. _Please don't ruin this moment._ He thought anxiously.

She shifted closer and Corso's heart almost stopped as her body rubbed against his, the temptations in his head starting to get louder and harder to ignore. _Is she doing this on purpose?_ A part of him asked. He glanced down, but only saw a pleasured smile, her eyes closed. A warm smile grew on his lips too at the sight. She seemed so happy, so at peace, and he was unjustifiably proud of the fact it was him that had granted her such feelings. The mercenary was a little less pleased at the feelings she was granting him however, as they seemed to be running in one direction only, and generally being not very appropriate. As much as he'd have loved to stay and hold Zavvi and stroke her lekku, he had a feeling that if he did, things were only going to get a lot more awkward later.

Thankfully, Zavvi herself came to the rescue, as she grunted softly, shifting in his arms. Corso took this as a signal that she'd had enough and released her, trying to flatten the feeling of emptiness as she moved away.  
"So, um..." She began, not knowing exactly to say after what just happened. "I need to attend to the ship..."  
"Uh, yeah, yeah!" He nodded rather vigorously. "You do that, Captain, I've, um, gotta clean my blasters." The Mantellian strode stiffly off the bridge before the smuggler could say any more.  
She looked after him appreciatively until he was out of sight, before going to tend to her beloved _Skylark._

* * *

On course back to Tatooine to hopefully finish Risha's mission this time, Zavvi decided she'd head back to her quarters and hopefully get in contact with her sister to tell her most of what had happened. She'd not expected Corso to ever ask her out, yet the way he did so wasn't too surprising, being the old-fashioned gentleman he sometimes was. Anyone else who'd asked her that would've been laughed off the stage, but for Corso, it seemed just so right, and it had touched a part of her heart she'd thought she'd hidden away. Somehow that farm boy just seemed to know how to slip past all her defences and get through to her inner self, the one she tried to keep safe from the outside world. She'd been worried and annoyed at this at first, but that had changed, thanks to Tatooine.

The Twi'lek was under no illusions that she could have easily been thrown into the nearest slave ship and smuggled to parts unknown for Force knows what dark and dirty things that she did not dare to consider, just because she'd lost her temper and in an extreme tantrum thrown away her weapons (_the ones he gave me_) back into his face after saying things that she still regretted to this day. Her rage had made her so foolish and it had almost cost her dearly. And yet, despite it all, despite his heart being broken and smashed and ground into tiny bits, Corso had come to find her. He'd said he'd come just to give her weapons back because he knew she was strongest with them, and while she didn't know if he'd been telling the whole truth or not, Zavvi couldn't've been more grateful to see him in that alleyway. As much as she hated the idea of a 'knight in shining armour' coming to rescue her, it had been sorely needed.

And the fact he had been so loyal as to have come back to her side after she hurt him had struck deep down into Zavvi's core. She couldn't think of another person that wasn't a blood relative (and even then she was doubtful) that would do such a thing for her. She remembered Viidu's dead man message; '_Corso's a loyal kid. You can trust him to watch your back._' Yes, she certainly could, confirmed through combat, but proven for his actions, not just on Tatooine, but before. He'd stopped her from killing Syreena, and that starship merchant. Sure, he'd been annoying with all his talk of being nice to ladies, but there was an impression that his sheltered life before was tripping him up, and he was at least trying to change.  
She knew he felt for her, but it was only now she thought to open her armour just a chink, just to see what it was like. She'd slept with enough men to not be inexperienced, but that was only in lust; in love she was as clueless as she thought Corso was. The smuggler was scared of being hurt again...But she trusted Corso. If she was going to open up to anyone, she couldn't see making a better choice than him.

Zavvi thought about his request to court her again. It had been so sweet and so old-fashioned she felt would've felt bad saying no. She wondered briefly where he'd got the courage and idea from, but dismissed it; from what Xuleena had said it was coming, and there it was, just a lot earlier than she'd expected. 'Courting' was a strange idea, though. She assumed it was merely dating, but from the way he'd phrased his request, it sounded like he was trying to woo her into marriage. That made her feel a little uncomfortable, but in her heart she knew that wasn't what he was after; it was just old words being used in a different way, that was all.

And then her mind moved to the kiss. It wasn't as if she hadn't have been kissed before, but Corso's kiss had made her heart skip a couple of beats. She wouldn't pen him as someone experienced, but there was something about that kiss...  
Then he'd offered her a hug; it had seemed so silly, but he'd offered so nicely, and she'd always wondered what it'd be like to be in his arms, up close to his chest...So of course she'd accepted. And she'd been justly rewarded, she thought. He'd been warm and his arms gentle around her, and she felt so safe...it faintly reminded her of being held by her father when she was little. She felt the mercenary's muscles beneath his shirt, and she wondered how she'd managed to not blush with them being so close.

Zavvi closed her eyes, pausing outside her quarters, before she thought she heard something. She wandered down the corridor curiously, stopping when she realized the noise she could here was the sound of the water shower she had on the ship. It took a couple of seconds for the significance of the sound to register, to which she grinned. So she had been right! Poor farm boy, he'd probably hoped she wouldn't notice. Her grin softened. No, she wouldn't tease him about it; leave that to Risha if Zavvi decided to give her the gossip. Besides, according to what she felt, the smuggler didn't have anything to complain about.

Returning to her door and entering her quarters, she waited until it closed before she sat on her bed, and brought back the feeling of Corso's calloused hands on her headtails. He'd been the first man she'd let touch them in their sensitive states, and to her surprise, he'd been rather proficient in his touches; light and gentle, and yet somehow those touches had been...it was hard to describe how nice it'd felt, though she knew those strokes had been sending her thoughts sliding in one direction, just like she thought his would've been. She shivered. Zavvi wanted more from Corso; more cuddles, more kissing, more touches to her lekku, just more.

_Mind yourself, Zee._ She chided herself silently. _He's only considered courting you, he's still skittish about anything more. But now I know he's attracted to me in that way...Well, things are gonna get more fun from here on out, I think..._

Her holocall whistled, breaking her from her trance. She reached into her pocket and checked the holonumber, her eyes lighting up. She pressed the 'pick up' button, and the image of a Twi'lek trooper flickered into view in front of her. He smiled warmly, eyes twinkling.  
"Hello there, titch." He spoke, Zavvi feeling ten years younger.  
"Hey Dad." She replied, watching his expression briefly become concerned.  
"Your sister told me you've been in a little bit of a nasty fight. You look alright, but is there anything wrong?"  
"No, I'm alright now, Dad. It's a long story." She admitted. The trooper smiled.  
"I've got some time titch, tell me everything."


	3. Father and Daughter

It did take a while for Zavvi to tell her father Kestrann about her misadventure on Tatooine, glossing over some details not to upset or worry her father. He let her tell her tale without interruption, his emotions changing as the story unfolded, up until the story concluded.  
"So yeah, I've just got back from seeing Xu again, and I'm gonna have to go back to Tatooine if I'm going to finish this mission. I think my leg'll be fine now, thanks to her." The smuggler said, deliberately avoiding the fact Corso had asked to court her. Her father smiled.  
"That's good to hear, titch." He nodded. "You'll be fine there if you avoid travelling in the hours where the suns are highest; plan out what you're going to do first and do it then. Will mean you have to get up earlier, or you'll boil in the middle of the Dune Sea. I know you've never liked getting up early, but I'm sure this makes better business sense." He grinned, Zavvi giggling.  
"Da-ad! 'Course I'm gonna get earlier to avoid something like that! But thanks for the info, I hadn't thought about doing something like that. I'll have to tell my partner though, 'cos he just assumes we're doing it normally. Though...Considering where he grew up, I think early mornings aren't too foreign to him."

The older Twi'lek looked pensive, though he shifted a little uncomfortably.  
"Tell me about the crew you have now, titch. I'm interested to know what you think of them, especially your partner, what was his name...?"  
"Corso Riggs." Zavvi replied, one lekku twitching.  
"Ah yes." The trooper nodded, shifting again as subtly as he could. "But go ahead, Zavvi."  
"Well, the newest one on my crew is a wookie called Bowdaar. We found him on Nar Shaddaa being used as a...well, the Hutt was using him to fight against all sorts, and he wouldn't do just that too, they'd drained him of blood and poisoned him just to see how far his limits would go." Her lekku shivered with anger, her father's lekku curling upwards in similar emotion.  
"That's disgusting." He growled. "I don't know how you put up with them, titch."  
"Minor sabotage." Zavvi smirked. "Although they pay the bills, there's nothing wrong with breaking a few of their things along the way discretely. Enough to inconvience them, but not let them know you're doing it." He chuckled.  
"Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker, hmm?" He grinned at her childish scowl.  
"I'm not that much of a troublemaker..." Zavvi grumbled. The trooper laughed.  
"Says the youngster that used a marker pen to join up her mother's tattoos whilst she was asleep." He replied, folding his arms.  
"Yeah well, she deserved it." She snorted, and Kestrann's expression softened.  
"I take it you're not coming home anytime soon?" He asked. His daughter pulled a face.  
"No. Aside from you, there's nothing worth going back to, is there? All she's gonna do is be mad at my life choices and wind me up and remind me why I'm out here in the first place." She answered, looking away briefly to stare at an empty section of wall. Her father patiently waited until her gaze returned to him.  
"That's fine, titch. It's just I miss you, and want to see you properly again." He said, and a small smile danced on her lips.  
"Me too, Dad. Me too. I miss you a lot."  
"At least you're happy out there, in the big wide galaxy." He said. "As much as I'd like to see you in person again, I'd rather you be happy." Zavvi smiled back.  
"Yeah. You've done tons for me, Dad. I don't think I could thank you enough."  
"There's no need to, titch." He replied, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'd do anything to make sure my daughters are happy."

There was a pause as they shared a moment between them, Zavvi listening to hurried steps of a male along the corridor. The trooper shifted again, frowning.  
"Keep telling me about your crew, titch, I just need to sit down." Her brows furrowed.  
"Are you alright, Dad?"  
"I'm fine, I'm fine, Zavvi. I've just been busy recently and it's getting to me. I must take more rests." Kestrann waved her concerns away as he found a chair to sit in. "I'm getting old, and I keep forgetting that."  
"I guess..." The younger Twi'lek frowned, before shaking her head. He was right; he was just getting older and hard work could take its toll. There was nothing to worry about, right?  
"So, about Bowdaar...I assume you rescued him?"  
"Yeah, but it wasn't like we leapt in all guns blazing and went 'hand over the wookie'. It was one of his fights, which involved a rancor, I think, and we decided to help out. We'd done it before earlier as well, so the Hutt got so annoyed with us he dismissed us and Bowdaar in one fell swoop. He didn't have any other place to go, so I offered a place on my ship." Zavvi smiled. "He's still grateful for the assist; swore me a life-debt, I think..." Her father's brows rose.  
"A life debt? Well, I no longer have to worry about you getting into dangerous situations." He grinned. "A wookie's debt is not easily earned, they say, but there's once you have it, there's no finer thing. He'll protect and aid you until your life ends. I say that because Bowdaar easily outlast you; did you ever get an age from him?"  
"Never asked. How long can wookies live for, Dad?" She asked curiously.  
"Let's say a century is easily in their grasp." It was the turn of the smuggler's brows to shoot upwards.  
"Stars, that's ages! Kinda makes me wonder how old he actually is now...Though I don't wanna ask because I'll bet most of it was whilst he was a slave."  
"Aye, I think you'll be right there, titch. Anyone else?"

"I've got Risha, but I don't think she counts; she's the one who gave me the mission to search for this long lost treasure in the first place, and she's pointing us in the right directions to go in. But she's a good mechanic; can do far more than I can. I might see about hiring one when she leaves; none of the people here have as much experience as her. She's a little snooty and cynical, but I like her." The young Twi'lek grinned. "She could run her own starship if she wanted to, so we work together. No doubt when we've found this treasure she'll be off on her travels, 'cos she doesn't seem like a person who could settle down for long. Bit like me, I guess." She looked wistful for a moment, before continuing with; "I got a ship droid too, called See Two; annoying, but he's really useful around the place, doing all the stuff I don't wanna do!" She laughed, getting a chuckle from her father.  
"Oh, I remember tidying up after you, titch. Sometimes I wondered if you deliberately made more mess because you knew I'd clean it up for you!" He said, folding his arms to his daughter's giggling.  
"That's my little secret, Dad." She replied, grinning widely. "And then we have Corso Riggs, who's our weapons guy and my partner when we go down for missions on the planets."

"Tell me more about this Corso Riggs." Kestrann said, resting his arms in his lap, leaning forward and suppressing a wince. Zavvi looked reluctant.  
"He's just a guy from Ord Mantell who helped me find my ship, knows almost everything there is to know about anything that explodes or has pointy edges, and is someone I can trust to have my back in the toughest situations. There's not much else to him, Dad." A brow raised, and his brown eyes gave the smuggler a look that sniped through her.  
"Zavvi, I haven't raised you for fourteen years without knowing when you're telling me a lie." She shifted defensively, and he sighed. "Look, I know you can look after yourself; I'm not trying to play 'protective father' and punch him in the face if he so much as smiles at you, I just think there's more to him than what you're telling me." A tense pause as she refused to reply. "If you tell me, I can offer my advice about it all. And you know I won't tell your mother. Nor will I tell anyone else. I'm in my bunk room in the barracks right now; I can assure you that anything you tell me will go no further than me."

Zavvi sighed with frustration. It wasn't hard to see where she'd inherited her determination from, though she hated it when her father used it against her. It wasn't fair for parents to do that!  
"Fine, alright." She looked down at her foot. "Dad, a couple of minutes ago...Corso asked to court me." The trooper sat up slowly, incredulously.  
"To court you? In those words?" He asked, scarcely believing it.  
"Yes, well, he said 'may I have permission to seek your hand', but I don't believe he was actually asking literally. He's very old fashioned, I mean, he used to go on chaperoned dates with girlfriends." The young Twi'lek hoped her father wouldn't pry into the fact Corso had a fiancée; though Zavvi understood the circumstances of why Corso had left her, Kestrann might be less forgiving, and she didn't want him to be disappointed with her for granting permission to someone he didn't think much of.  
The Republic trooper looked pensive, rubbing his chin.  
"What're your opinion on him?" He asked, watching his daughter with interest.  
"Well, er, he's nice. Loyal, always polite nearly to a fault, always seems to be able to make me smile. Like a gentleman, really, and he's never tried anything on with me." _Aside from when he was drunk, but Dad doesn't need to know that. It's not like Corso meant it to happen anyway._ "He's really good in a fight too; like I said, I can't think of anyone aside from Xu and Lizzy who'd I'd trust with my back."

There was suddenly a knock on her door, Zavvi's head whipping around. Kestrann leaned slightly, wincing with pain and rubbing his thigh, trying to see who or what she was looking at.  
"Who's there?" She called out, with a slight steel slipping out in her tone.  
"It's me, Captain." Was the drawled response. "Was wonderin' who's on kitchen duty tonight."  
"SeeTwo's doing a curry, Corso!" She called back. "You're next up, though!"  
"Okay, gotcha. Thanks, Captain!" With that holler, she heard Corso's footsteps fade as he wandered off again. She turned back to Kestrann.  
"That was Corso?" He asked. "Interesting accent, don't think I've heard that before."  
"Yeah, that was him. I thought you'd heard a Mantellian accent though? Don't they recruit them anymore?" She said.  
"No, I know some from Ord Mantell, but their accents aren't as thick as that..."  
"Well, for I know is he comes from the more frontier parts of Ord; he used to be a rancher, so that might be why his accent's a little more different than people you know. Either that or the accents you've heard have been diluted over the years." Zavvi said, shrugging. "But I dunno. All I know is he used to be a farm boy until his family was killed by the separatists; he only joined me because he had nowhere else to go, in honesty." Kestrann's face fell.  
"That's awful, to lose your family like that..." He murmured.  
"Yeah. I think he still has nightmares about it..." She replied, remembering hearing Corso whimpering in his sleep on Taris, begging for someone to get up. She knew she should've snapped him out of it, but a morbidly curious part of her wanted to listen in and figure out what was going on.  
"Mmmm." Kestrann looked away, pursing his lips. "Has he told you what happened?" She shook her head.  
"No, not in detail. All I know is second hand; that his entire family minus a cousin was killed and he sought revenge on the seps. I wouldn't want to ask him and bring up painful memories." She replied. A pause, and then Kestrann gave his daughter a gentle look.  
"Are you going to tell him about your scar?" He asked softly. She shook her head vigorously, her hand darting to her headband.  
"No! No..." A finger traced the metal on the band, feeling an icy hand seizing her heart. Her father noticed the fear and alarm in her wide eyes, and he gave the softest sigh.  
"Alright, titch." He relented. "But you can't keep running from it forever. I've let you run from your mother, but this I cannot help you with. You must confront your fears yourself."

Zavvi didn't answer, refusing to accept implications of telling anyone about the accident. The last she wanted was for her crew, for anyone to know that she was weak. Brain damage would set alarm bells ringing in any client's mind, no matter how minor said damage actually was, and the smuggler dared not lose ground, especially with bounty hunters sniffing around for her.  
Accepting his daughter's silence as a sign she was finished with this subject, he changed it to one he thought she'd more receptive to.  
"Did you give him permission to court you?" He asked, fighting to keep the smirk off his face when he saw his daughter's face darken.  
"Uh, well, um...Yeah, I did. I thought I'd give it a try, 'cos he's been so nice to me and all..." She mumbled.  
"And he's saved your life more than once." Kestrann pointed out. "Of course, this gives you the opportunity to be aloof in this matter, and let him do all the work for you..." He trailed off with a grin. "But if I know my Zavvi, you're not going to just let him do that, are you?"  
"Well, maybe I'll let him run after me a little. But Dad...There's something about him I..." She hesitated. "He doesn't see me as a Twi'lek first, a captain after that, then me, Zavvi. He sees me as Zavvi first, then Captain, then as a Twi'lek. I can't figure him; I know he has a crush on me but-"  
"Titch, that's not a crush." Her father raised a brow. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't fallen in love with you." Her entire face turned purple in embarrassment.  
"What?!" She squeaked. "But-"  
"Zavvi, listen to me." The trooper spoke seriously. "I can't know exactly what is going on between you, but at least take this advice. From what I hear, this man is trustworthy, and is trying his darnest to win your affection without pretence. I know you're more than old enough to make your own choices and take whatever advice you will, but at least let me give my opinion on the matter." He gritted his teeth as pain gnawed into him again, forcing him to shift on his chair. "Knowing you and what you've gone through, I think you should let him try to win you. I've never seen him, but from what you tell me, you've already made a rapport with him and you favour him enough to let him fight beside you in combat. I know I'm getting on a bit, but I know enough about love to tell you to do one thing with this man; let your heart guide you. His will be doing similar."  
"Oh...Okay, Dad. If you think so..." He softened, seeing his youngest so unsure.  
"Your sister trusts in the Force. We both owe much to luck. Would it be so hard to trust your heart?" He asked.  
"But what if it's wrong? What if I get hurt? How would he cope? I couldn't-"  
"Zavvi." Kestrann interrupted. He sighed, before reciting a story he knew she loved so much he'd learnt the whole thing off by heart "_And whilst the other birds let fear be their shackle, the skylark flew towards the sun, the wind lifting his wings to skim the highest cloud._ _When even the mountains were the size of trees, he opened his beak and sang the song of life. Freedom was his succour, and he sang so clear and proud that every animal lifted their heads to him._"  
"_With his song courage was kindled in every heart and his love opened her wings among a thousand more, never to know fear whilst aloft."_ Zavvi finished for him, blinking widely and feeling her heart flutter at the old childhood story she loved.

"I trust you didn't name her ship the _Skylark_ for nothing, titch?" He asked, feeling a smile curve his lips as he saw the 'captain' side of his daughter flower before his eyes, determination flashing in her eyes.  
"No, Dad, I didn't. I'll give it a try, I promise. I dunno what's gonna happen, but I've never stopped exploring the galaxy for that." She declared.  
"I wish you all the best, titch." Kestrann replied. "Alas, it's almost dinner time and I've got to head to the mess. You take care of yourself, titch, and I'll talk to you again as soon as I'm able."  
"Okay, Dad. Same to you as well! Make sure you give those Imps hell!" He grinned.  
"I certainly will, titch. I love you very much, and good hunting."  
"I love you too, Dad! Bye!" She waved a little before the message stopped. She gave a happy sigh, grateful to have spoken to her father once again, though the reminder he was getting old wasn't as nice. Deciding not to dwell on it, she was going to key in Xuleena's number (as she originally intended to do) when she heard Corso shouting down the corridor.  
"Captain! Grub's up!"  
"I'm just coming Corso!" She shouted back, unsure if he heard or not.  
Zavvi peered at the holocomm for a few moments, trying to suss out whether she should call her sister or not. She shrugged. It didn't matter, just to announce the fact she and Corso were 'courting' each other. She could tell the Jedi that any old time.

Getting up, she palmed open the door to see the farm boy standing outside. He blushed brightly.  
"S-Sorry Captain, I didn't mean- I just didn't know-" Zavvi chuckled, patting his shoulder.  
"It's fine, Corso. I did hear you, but you must've heard me call back. Come on, let's get some dinner." He nodded, stomach growling loudly, waiting for Zavvi to set off to fall into line behind her. He couldn't help wondering what she'd been doing in her room all that time...


End file.
